Just a bit of fun.

Sooooo just seen that someone on facebook posted this as their status, the gist is basically to copy the text and alter the answers so they apply to yourself. Well I am gonna do it, but not post it to facebook, instead I am posting it on blogger. I am also not going to do as it says, I am going to tell how I did these things.

So here goes.

Bucket List - play along!!!! Put an X next to each thing you've done, then just copy and paste to your timeline and amend... I bet someone will learn something about you!!!
Fired a gun: several first time was an M16 automatic rifle and a glock 9mm at a Las Vegas gun club whilst hung over on a stag do. Also fired a few shotguns and a Lee Enfield rifle.
Gone on a blind date: Every first date I have been on was basically a blind date.
Skipped school: Never did it off my own back, stayed home when ill though.
Given birth: this one would be a bit difficult. (Maybe this was catered to women only).
Watched someone die: Nope, lost a few relatives, but never been present when they passed away.
Visited Canary Islands: Been to all of them several times.
Visited Caribbean: Not yet, but would love to go.
Visited Turkey: When I was 12 with the Family to Marmaris.
Visited Mexico: Watched my brother marry my sister in law in 2011, best holiday destination.
Visited Asia: Not yet, but Japan and China are on the to do list.
Visited Florida: 3 times.
Visited Australia: Another one on the to do list.
Been on a dream holiday: Any holiday I class as a dream holiday.
Flown in a helicopter: nope
Served on a jury: Why would this be on a bucket list???
Been to Washington: nope.
Been to New York City: landed there for refueling on the first trip to Florida, does that count?
Cried yourself to sleep: Yes whilst in pain, but if anyone asks then I am like Chuck Norris and will never cry.
Sang karaoke: got forced to play singstar once.
Paid for a meal with coins: Everyone will have at one time, usually after a night out whilst waiting for a pizza.
Made prank phone calls: Lice in my carpet and lice in my pubes comes to mind.
Laughed so much you cried: yes as a kid.
Caught a snowflake on your tongue: tried this, but don't think I did it right.
Had a pet: Digger the goldfish was indestructible for about 10 years.
Abseiled down a building/cliff: Nope and won't be happening any time soon.
Been skiing: yep to Italy with school.
Been water skiing: in Florida.
Been on a jet ski: also in Florida.
Been camping in a tent: Too many times.
Driven a motorcycle: Does a scooter count???
Driven in a speed boat: Nope but if I did it'd be like the opening credits to Miami Vice.
Jumped out of a plane: You'd have to push me!!!
Gone to a drive in movie: I wish!
Done something that could have killed you: I drive, use cutlery and operate heavy machinery, so yes.
Ridden a camel: Yeah, I didn't like it.
Swam with a shark: yes, but it was a baby at a Disney water park in Florida.
Been on TV: Does the crowd at a football match count?
Been in newspapers: Nein.
Been to a rave: Why would I? Rave music is shit!
Stolen any traffic signs: Never appealed to me, but seen plenty when I was at Uni.
Been in a car accident: Yeah the other driver pulled out on me with no space to stop.
Stayed in Hospital: Had a cyst removed in 2007.
Donated Blood: nope
Had to pay a fine in the past 12 mth: is insurance a fine? Seems like I never get anything in return for the hundreds I lay out every year.
Gotten a piercing: no
Gotten a tattoo: no
Driven a standard car: so that's a car then? Yes every day. (I think this is also catered to Americans).
Been Married: One day maybe.
Been divorced: kinda need the first one to happen first.
Fell in love I fall in love too easily.
Paid for a strangers meal: Why would I do this???
Driven over 100mph: Yes I know it's naughty but I have done.
Worked in a pub: ah the Staithes team loved me.
Been scuba diving-snorkeling: Snorkelled, chickened out of Scuba.
Seen a dead body: seen one ready at a funeral.
Lived on your own: There were 21 others in the house but I was at Uni and my room had it's own lock, I'm counting it.
Hold your finger down and select copy... Then go into status and hold down finger and select paste and put on your own status.

Well that wasted a good half an hour and seems that it was well and truly catered to Women and Americans.

New updates of modern classics

In recent years cinema has taken it upon itself to become shit scared of taking a risk, even when said risk could bring great rewards (I'm talking box office returns here) of course the risk could fail and wind up costing the studio.

But this fear culture has led to wave after wave of remakes of films that stand alone and do not need upgrading. A recent example of this is the ghostbusters remake starring several of Hollywood's more prominent comedienne 's such as Melissa Mccarthy, Kristen Wiig and a few other Saturday Night Life cast members. This in itself isn't a great issue, but when the original is a great example of cinema then a remake/reimaginig is not a welcome prospect.

Having waited for the first trailer in anticipation that it would stand alone and not ruin the memory of Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Ray Stanz,  Dr. Egon Spengler and Winston Zedmore, I was disappointed to see that they have gone for a more slapstick approach.

Admittedly this is only the first trailer and I hope that the end product lives up to its predecessor, however, I am not holding my breath.

Recently I watched another remake, this time it was 'point break' the film that helped propel Keanu Reeves from a time travelling stoner who always expresses shock, awe, appreciation and happiness in the same manerism ("Whoa") to being on the cusp of future action stardom, was remade as an update for the modern day extreme sports crowd, where only a small part of this film includes any surfing. the characters and even some of the story remains the same, so the lead is Johnny Utah, the big bad is Bodhi and even the shot in the original film where Utah chasing after Bodhi  hurts his knee and empties his gun into the sky makes an appearance, although in the remake it's just feels corny and unnecessary, like the director tried to make a love letter to the original and failed miserably.

And this is my main issue, as a child of the 80's these films will always resonate with me, but the remakes do not inspire the same wild eyed joy of the first time I watched them, nor do they inspire the wannabe film director in me to do the same thing.

Honestly as a film fan of all genres I am happy to watch any movie and some of them inspire me as something that I have never seen before. These are usually the films where a risk has been taken and for a change I am watching something original.

Many studios seem to copy one another and if an idea has worked then you end up with multiple franchises that are all in the same vein, an example of this is the future based dystopia The Hunger Games, which was a best selling book series that the spawned trilogies for other book series of a similar vein, namely The Divergent Series and The Maze Runner series also.

I wish the bodies at Hollywood would start taking notice of what their predecessors did in the 80's, movies like Indiana Jones worked and there is no reason that similar movies couldn't work today. A few years ago I heard that an adaptation of the game series uncharted was in development, however this has constantly stalled, and more recently another game series, the rejuvenated Tomb Raider series is also being muted as soon to be in development, along with Daisy Ridley reportedly cast as Lara Croft.

Anyway my original point is that remakes of great movies should be left well alone and not bled dry of any future revenue, but movies that weren't particularly great could be remade if done to a better standard than the original.

Signing off and climbing down off my high horse,

Ze Bear.